Appz. Yo.

[Empath Negative]

The future of d&d will be apps. Playing via smartphone/tablet.

The dm will distribute loot, cash, and expeez via internet... Even at the gaming table.


The distant future of d&d involves programming ocular implants. This of course being a precursor to the holodeck.

 

[Sekhmet]

My groups typically use tablets.
No eraser marks on character sheets? No re-writing character sheets because they're getting smudged/coffee stained/torn/lost? Yes, please.

I just wish there were a decent grid combat simulator floating around. Wouldn't even need a table, anymore.

 

[Empath Negative]

Ocular implants will eventually provide "minority report" style graphics and then some.

The next big development will be flexible mats for the gaming table that emulate touch screen.

D&d is a social game. It will always be best played around a table.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

Our group recently tipped over to more than half playing with i4e apps on ipads rather than paper character sheets. We've been using a projector (and a mirror rig in the ceiling) to project a map onto the tabletop.

At one point, we experimented with playing via Maptoops but still sitting around the game table together (I honestly have that many retired laptops available. My wife is livid) -- but it didn't go over very well.

Still, I think it's coming. And to my tastes, as a gadget nerd, I like the movement and think it's fun.

Now, man older gamers may not want to play that way, and that's cool -- I think the game will always support pen-and-paper play. But to attract new players, players who teethed on game controllers and have grown up with computers and the internet their whole lives, game companies that hope to recruit new gamers will have to have digital tools and aids for the game experience.

-rg

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=6690794]Empath Negative[/MENTION] I didn't mean that we don't play together, in the same room, eating junk food, I meant that the table was almost made obsolete. We typically sit around on couches/floors/chairs/bean bags.
I more or less use an easel with a dry-erase board to Quick Draw maps and pertinent information (initiative, formation, combat, etc).

 

[the Jester]

The future of d&d will be apps. Playing via smartphone/tablet.

The dm will distribute loot, cash, and expeez via internet... Even at the gaming table.


The distant future of d&d involves programming ocular implants. This of course being a precursor to the holodeck.

Perhaps the future of your D&D game will be apps. Not mine.

 

[Empath Negative]

Perhaps the future of your D&D game will be apps. Not mine.

Nah, yours too.

Why? Because there's a s*** ton of money to be made in apps... if you market and sell them correctly.

Although many people (such as myself) love just even *having* the books, it would almost be smarter for Wizards to market their product almost exclusively digital.

Why? For one they can sell you a license or somesuch nonsense and therefore you can't say... resell the books on ebay.

If the books are digital they can incorporate apps right into them.


For example, let's say the D&D Master Edition that's coming up Sells all its books digitally... and then sells you an app that becomes a kind of interactive SRD for your books, allowing you to build your character via things from the books you've purchased.


But the real interesting money will be in "digital dice".

What are digital dice? Something I just invented. They don't exist yet. They would be dice connected to your gaming portal via bluetooth (i.e. your smart phone or ipad) that tell that smart phone or ipad what you rolled (which, let's face it... would be a total novelty but you know techie nerds and geeks would love it... combining the visceral feel of rolling and the digital convenience of... digital).

 

[Duke Arioch]

I would never, ever change real table, real dice and real sheets (yes, even the smudged ones) for electronic media. It simply does not have the feel the real stuff does. Oh, I do use smart phones as easier access to info (as opposed to lugging 500lbs in books), but that is the only concession I am willing to give to technology.

 

[Sekhmet]

But the real interesting money will be in "digital dice".
What are digital dice? Something I just invented. They don't exist yet. They would be dice connected to your gaming portal via bluetooth (i.e. your smart phone or ipad) that tell that smart phone or ipad what you rolled (which, let's face it... would be a total novelty but you know techie nerds and geeks would love it... combining the visceral feel of rolling and the digital convenience of... digital).

Dungeons & Dragons Dice Roller
Roll Dice
Roll Dice Online

Etcetera, etcetera.
Any number of Virtual Tables have the same feature that can be shared among everyone connected, none of them are any good other than that.

 

[Empath Negative]

I would never, ever change real table, real dice and real sheets (yes, even the smudged ones) for electronic media. It simply does not have the feel the real stuff does. Oh, I do use smart phones as easier access to info (as opposed to lugging 500lbs in books), but that is the only concession I am willing to give to technology.

You familiar with "Steam"?

Me? I hate Steam. With a passion. It's a huge pain in the ass and requires you to have an internet connection (usually) to even play the game you bought. Sure they have an "offline" mode but GFL with that.

So why is it so pervasive? Because it reduces costs to the company (while keeping the same prices) and is an excellent advertising platform *spit*.

So, rest assured our good friends at WOTC are taking a good hard look at that business model.

You won't be able to BUY character sheets to copy. If they're smart they'll make it part of a new OGL. Produce character sheets and you can't use the OGL.